Pawlenty: Newt Gingrich as a potential nominee for president? Really? I mean, really?

posted at 5:35 pm on January 23, 2012 by Tina Korbe

In keeping with the themes Mitt Romney has revived on the campaign trail, Romney supporter and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty today lambasted Newt Gingrich for his record as Speaker of the House and for his work for Freddie Mac.

On a conference call with reporters, Pawlenty said it’s time for Republicans to do some digging inside themselves.

“For Republicans and conservatives all across this country, a question is going to have to be as they consider Newt Gingrich as a potential nominee for president: Really? I mean, really?” Pawlenty said, according to a transcript of the call. “This is somebody who has had so many incredibly unfortunate and questionable activities while he was speaker, post-speaker, that he is not somebody that I think can carry the banner for the Republican Party and the conservative movement forward as the nominee or as a future president.”

Pawlenty said it was splitting hairs to say Gingrich wasn’t a lobbyist for the GSE.

“If you’re going to be president of the United States, people have to understand your full record,” he said, according to a transcript of the call. “They have to see it in user-friendly and transparent ways. Newt Gingrich has represented hundreds of clients and interest groups in Washington D.C. since he left the speakership. We have very little insight and transparency as to what exactly he did for many of those clients — in many cases, for huge sums of money. To say that he wasn’t a lobbyist is an incredible hair-splitting. He’s been an advocate to the Congress trying to push influence in Washington D.C. In the case of Freddie Mac, he was lobbying Republican members or advocating with Republican members against Republican interests on one of the most difficult and unfortunate behaviors by the federal government in modern history, and that is their activities in the housing market.”

Pawlenty also implicitly pled with Floridians to factor Gingrich’s housing history into their votes by reminding reporters that the Sunshine State was particularly clouded by the collapse of the housing market.

“If you go down to Florida where the primary is going to occur shortly, one of the most devastating blows to the Florida economy in recent years, of course, has been the housing market,” Pawlenty said. “And one of the principal culprits in the demise of the housing market was the role of Congress and their government-sponsored entities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and their role in the housing market. And now you have a candidate for the president of the United States, Newt Gingrich, who was paid $1.7 million by Freddie Mac, and we don’t have insight or transparency as to what he actually did, what positions he took, what advice that he gave. His influence-peddling with respect to Freddie Mac to Congress, that needs to be revealed.”

Newt Gingrich has already said he’d be amenable to the release of his contract with Freddie Mac, so Pawlenty’s comments, like Romney’s, are likely to be defused by that.

But, for all that Pawlenty gets right here, I can’t help but think this: Newt Gingrich was in the presidential race long before Tim Pawlenty dropped out. Maybe Pawlenty should have considered before now the space his exit would clear for the likes of Gingrich to fill. It also reminds me to appreciate the candidates we have left. For all their flaws, they’ve gutted out a difficult primary race — and proved that, at the very least, they want to be president enough to run for the office. That’s really no small matter. Would you want to run for president?

“If you’re going to be president of the United States, people have to understand your full record,” he said, according to a transcript of the call. “They have to see it in user-friendly and transparent ways.

Really, just really? I’m quite sure a full 40% of the morons that voted for Obama didn’t understand and weren’t aware of his full record. And there still hasn’t been any transparency about his past as of today, yet he’s still president. So Tim,you were saying…

In other words: “Dear Mitt, please put me in your cabinet if you win. Love and kisses. Tim”

I’m sorry but dropping out of the race before it even began because you lost an early straw poll just doesn’t qualify you to lecture the rest of the country on who to vote for. I mean, you’re welcome to do it, but you haven’t really sold me on why I should care what you think.

Let me put it this way: Pawlenty will never be pulled aside by TSA after they detect he may have a spine, because Pawlenty is the biggest pu**y I’ve ever seen in politics. I’d be happy to have him replace Franken as the MN’s senator because I don’t expect much from MN. That aside, he’s such a loser.

Pawlenty is and always has been GOP establishment. Back before he was governor of MN, he was planning on the senate seat. He stubbed his toe against Bush/Cheney and backed down. They wanted Norm Coleman, who end up winning that seat. Pawlenty became governor.

I was living in MN at the time and this news was all over. Pawlenty backed down. He’s a GOP establishment patsy. Of course he is going to attack anyone who is not supported by the GOP gods…

TPAW is right. Everyone has been kind to Newt because he is the old Republican Speaker of the House/ Contract with America guy. They do not want to bring out his baggage both personal and professional. However, now it must be done. Our Country depends on changing leadership and this election is far too important to be concerned with Newt’s feelings.

I am again reminded of the clip of a Republican imploring Newt not to run and embarrass himself. If he would have only listened.
Too Late!

He had emphasized his record as a two-term governor in a Democratic state, as a contrast to Bachmann and her experience. Pawlenty also sought to contrast himself with Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, on the issue of health care, pointing out that he signed a market-based law in Minnesota. He had derided the law enacted under Romney as “Obamneycare.”

BuckeyeSam on January 23, 2012 at 5:45 PM
Czar of Defenestration on January 23, 2012 at 5:43 PM
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vinman on January 23, 2012 at 5:39 PM

Let’s see Mr. Pawlenty…
Gingrich: last time he was a politician, the budget was in balance, the economy was growing, and he engineered a republican takeover of the House and Senate (wresting 40 years of control from the Democrats. Welfare reform, etc.

You people are letting the establishment decide the candidate in reverse, you still aren’t thinking for yourselves. Just because the establishment (whoever that is) is against Newt doesn’t mean they are wrong about everything.

It is unbelievable the number of passes Newt is getting just because of his big mouth. Newt is going to need a political coalition to get things done and he has virtually none in Washington DC right now because most of them remember his wreckage from the past. You are all being incredibly naive just as you were about Palin. Newt could easily lose the house for us.

Look at his national disapproval numbers. These are entrenched, he is a known entity and people have made up their minds about him. His angry, righteous indignation act is only going to alienate more independents. You are going to kill the party just so you can watch Newt shoot some arrows at Obama in the debates. All Obama has to do is hold is own and he wins. There goes your entire rationale for Newt.

Remember how everybody discounted Newt in the beginning of this process? Honestly, what is different about him now? We were all right the first time.

Pawlenty. Yeah, I’m really interested in what a loser, who was too afraid to repeat to Mittens’ face on stage what he had said about Mittens behind his back. At that point, you egg sucking coward, we all knew you were finished. Had you had a spine and stood up for your self, you may have stayed in long enough for a crazy eyed woman to have outed you as a wussy.

For all their flaws, they’ve gutted out a difficult primary race — and proved that, at the very least, they want to be president enough to run for the office. That’s really no small matter. Would you want to run for president?

This! When Perry and Bachman and Cain and others are busting their chops getting excoriated from their own side just for being there you realize it takes a steel jaw to even want to take on the effort. Come back when you get one T-Paw.

Fine to diss on Pawlenty, but he dropped out of the race when he didn’t have the money to run. Newt would have dropped out by now as well if he didn’t have a billionaire casino magnet funding a PAC that is supporting him. The only way he can compete is with a PAC. Without it, he’d have been done after Iowa.

Just as it is dishonest to pretend that what Newt did was not corrupt albeit legal, it is equally dishonest to pretend the there was anything at all unique about Newt doing this.

Huge numbers of people in both parties were on the take in various “legal” ways; this goes all the way up to the present President, who went so far as to put a Countrywide officer in charge of his VP selection.

It’s like picking out a lone pig and screaming, “look he’s in the mud up to his eyeballs!” They were all in the mud.

These attacks on Newt aren’t going to resonate now. The pro-Newt roar is still in the air, and, unfortunately, the salient issue is not Newt, but Mitt, and his seeming failings.

anotherJoe on January 23, 2012 at 5:53 PM

I think you are right. I have said several times Newt’s rise is as much about Mitt’s weakness as it is Newt’s strength. I think Mitt is probably done. Electability was all he had going for him. Whether Newt can win remains to be seen.

You people are letting the establishment decide the candidate in reverse, you still aren’t thinking for yourselves.

Unless you’re arguing for Paul or Santorum, this makes no sense at all.

Remember how everybody discounted Newt in the beginning of this process? Honestly, what is different about him now? We were all right the first time.

echosyst on January 23, 2012 at 5:56 PM

What’s different is that the media – led enthusiastically by the small slice of it that is Republican – disqualified every other candidate, under the reflexive, understandable, but totally incorrect and wrongheaded belief that a) this would make Romney win b) Romney, or any candidate, deserves to win solely by process of elimination.

Ever noticed these big fat
rich and powerful fornicators, never just pick up skanks like the rest of us, I mean, like some people who are really friendly do. They make a power playto cultivate a relationship with those under their authoriTAHY.
Son of a bitch!
Gingrich is Cartman!
I never made the connection because I like Cartman.

Pawlenty, Daniels, Christie, Ryan, Jeb Bush, etc. are the names the establishment throw out as being late entrants to the party. All, RINOS, and all Obama lite, bought and paid for by the RNC and all establishment suck ups.

Where’s the names of DeMint, Palin, Walker, Sessions, Pence, Rand Paul, Jan Brewer, etc. all good conservatives. The distinction should tell us all we need to know about the Republican party. It hates conservatives and uses them like the dems. use blacks. We are nothing but a useful idiot vote tool. When they find a replacement for our vote, we will be as welcome as a big piece of crap floating in a punch bowl at a fancy wedding.

..former conservative darling candidate gets reamed on HA; tough room.
The War Planner on January 23, 2012 at 5:54 PM

Hey pal, have you got way too much time on your hands ? :)
———————-

PS- Pawlenty’s was a conservative darling candidate???
BigSven never thought so…you must get your stuff from the MSM.

For BigSven the most memorable Pawlenty moment was when his key Iowa staffer, drunk as blazes, broke into some poor Iowa family’s house in the middle of the night and damn near got his ass shot off !! :(

Makes BigSven wonder how well Pawlenty would have picked a cabinet if he had been elected President ;)

Newt was pushed out of “their” Party because he was effective. He held Clinton’s feet to the fire, brought us welfare reform

Key West Reader on January 23, 2012 at 6:12 PM

.
Newt Lied to congress- can’t be selective here. And if Welfare was reformed……why is it the mill stone hanging over our country today ? What exactly does newt want to take credit for with regard to welfare? or does he go obama say things would have been worse without him ? What am I missing?

Newt Gingrich has already said he’d be amenable to the release of his contract with Freddie Mac, so Pawlenty’s comments, like Romney’s, are likely to be defused by that.

Yes, because the comments about Romney not releasing his taxes were defused by him saying he would release them. Right? Sadly, no. If Gingrich just pretends that he’s going to have them released, that doesn’t cut it.

Hey, I have a great idea. Let’s re-elect Barack Hussein Obama in 2012! At least he’s not plastic, or toxic, or dull, or a whiner or a headcase….

Amiright?

Key West Reader on January 23, 2012 at 6:14 PM

Or maybe we could delude ourselves into thinking one of these guys is worth a damn.

I’m pretty sure Romney wanted a field this bad and did all he could to keep others from jumping in because he figured he’d win automatically. He never took into account that conservatives find him so repugnant they’d actually turn to someone like Newt Gingrich.

Me, I’m hoping for (but not counting on) a brokered convention. I can hold my nose and vote for Newt, but I’ll vote third party before I vote for Romney.